My Montreal: Alessandro Ficca of La Cornetteria

At La Cornetteria in Little Italy, the star pastry is the cornetto, an Italian-style croissant that Alessandro Ficca was remembering fondly from many summers spent in Italy when he teamed up with Stefano Cicali to open the shop in 2006.

Fresh baked cornetto. (Photo by Alessandro Ficca)

The summers of Ficca’s youth were spent with his grandfather in the countryside and at the family hotel in Pescara, in the Abruzzo region. Soaking up Italian culture and food, he was especially taken with the cornetto, which he likes to call the poutine of Italy, meaning good for late-night snacking. He felt Montrealers would relate.

La Cornetteria is the kind of place that’s filled with the aromas of pistachio, hazelnut and melted chocolate mixed with espresso aromas. “We’ve even been asked to make a Cornetteria fragrance!” Ficca said. The shop sells other Italian pastries, focaccia sandwiches and coffee, which brings loyal regulars every morning. For a short time, until April 20, you can also get a zeppole: fried dough filled with custard or a cannoli-style pastry cream. The consistency ranges from light and puffy to bread- or pasta-like. “Everything that’s sold here is made here by hand,” said Ficca.

We caught up with Ficca to find out more about his love of the cornetto, the inside scoop on some of the best Italian spots in Montreal and what it’s like to own an Italian bakery.

Why did you decide to base your bakery around the cornetto?

Having spent most of our childhood summers in Italy we would relish the moment at the crack of dawn when fresh cornetti [plural for cornetto] were delivered to our aunt’s café in Pescara. This marked the beginning of “la colazione” or breakfast. As we bit into the fragrant and flaky golden dough, we savoured the delectable custard or jam filling.

Zeppole season is coming up. Why are zeppole available for such a short time?

Zeppole are traditionally consumed during the Festa di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph’s Day) celebrated every March 19 (Italian Father’s Day), but with time it has grown into a Lent and Easter dessert.

You’ve been opened since 2006. Have you seen any changes to Little Italy since then?

There have been many changes since we’ve opened. This part of St-Laurent was in bad shape back then. As of late, it’s become a hip new borough with new businesses flourishing all the time. There has also been a big comeback of young second-generation Italians like myself to the area.

What is a typical day for you?

I begin work anytime between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., making sure all the orders are out to our wholesale customers. Around 8 a.m. I tend the bar and make sure all our customers get a delicious cornetto and coffee. Around 10 a.m., I bake the focaccia for our sandwiches and begin serving lunch. After lunch, I take inventory and place orders to our suppliers and attend to the mountain of paperwork on my desk.

Zeppole are only available for a short time in the spring. (Photo by Claudia Ficca)

What is the best part of your job?

The human contact is the best part — seeing people experiencing and enjoying our products. It brings a great sense of fulfillment.

What’s your favourite Montreal neighbourhood?

Little Italy. It just feels like home. I’ve been in Little Italy since 2006, so walking around here you start to get to know people. I go to the market and see my usual vendors or I go to Milano’s and they call me by name. It’s a little village in the city. I love that feeling. Even if I don’t sleep in Little Italy, my house is the bakery – I spend more time here than anywhere else during my day.

Where is your favourite place for dinner? For brunch?

For dinner it’s Ristorante Inferno. I’ve never once been there and been disappointed. It has a very nice rustic feel. For brunch, it’s Café Souvenir. I love Bernard – it’s so nice and the terrasse is fantastic; it’s in the action. My girlfriend can get gluten-free bread there, too – it’s the little touches you can’t find everywhere in the city. When it’s sunny, being on a terrasse on Bernard is amazing.

When you get a food craving, what is it most likely to be?

My grandmother’s pasta e fagioli. She’s a fantastic cook and has a special touch for these things – I am sure every Italian is going to say the same thing about their grandmother. Prato Pizzeria also has an amazing pasta e fagioli.

What do you consider to be an Italian food experience not to be missed in Montreal?

I like Ristorante Lucca because it’s a little higher end, and Café Via Dante because they bring in stuff you aren’t going to see anywhere else. They were the first ones in Montreal to bring in burrata cheese. Now, everybody is going nuts for burrata, but Via Dante has been doing it for 10 years. I also like Hostaria for their food from all other regions of Italy. They have an amazing rabbit stew. Mezza Luna is the place to go if you want to start cooking Italian. Elena and Stefano Faita, who own the school, have been staples in this city forever.